Landing hook for aircraft



March 17, 1942. K JURsCHlCK 2,276,312

LANDING` HOOK FORv AIRCRAFT Filed Oct. ll. 1938 Patented Mar. 17, V1942 Fica LANDING noon Fon AIRCRAFT `Kurt Jurschick, Brandenburg, Havel, Germany, assigner to Arado Flugzeug-werke Gesellschaft mit beschrankter Haftun Germany g, Brandenburg, Havel,

Application October 11, 1938, Serial No. 234,450

In Germany October 13, 1937 Claims.

The invention relates to a landing hook for aircraft which onlanding of the aircraft at the landing ground engages in a catching rope stretched transversely ofthe direction of lght.

For aircraft intended to land on small surfaces for example on the decks of aircraft carrying ships, hooks have already been used which are secured to a tube, rope or the like, lowered from the aircraft. These hooks when the aircraft lands engage in successive ropes arranged over the landing surface transversely of the direction of flight, and as soon as the hook has engaged the ropes the latter yield somewhat and act as a brake on the aircraft.

The subject of the present invention is a hook which is so formed that it engages only a single catching rope or cable, but slides over the others. As a result a uniform braking action is applied to the aircraft. The hook of vthe invention affording these advantages consists of three main bodies of which two are so formed that the two bodies are locked together in the open ready-foruse position on the hook and are also locked in vrelation to the third, on contacting with the catching rope or cable close about the same and by the action thereof remain closed' until the lock between the second and third bodies is released whereupon on further action of the rope or cable the three bodies pass into an open position releasing the rope or cable.

Further features of the invention will appear from the following description of the embodiment illustrated byvway of example in the accompanying drawing.

In the drawing Fig. 1 is a longitudinal section through the landing hook iny ready-for-use position.

Fig. 2 is a plan view.

Fig. 3 is a side elevation of the landing hook in closed position.

(cram-11o) rig. 4 shows the anding honk am in side eiereleasing lever 6. The lever 6 can be turned about a pivot I6 and acton the locking pin 5. The body 3 is connected with two arms 1. 8

(Fig. 2), the free ends of lwhich each provide a bearing 9, I0. The bearings 9, 'III receive a spinvdle I1 which can rotate in the said bearings and on which the body 2 is mounted.

In the ready-for-use position (Fig. l) and in the closed position (Fig. 3) ofthe landing hook.

the body 2 is locked against rotation with respect to the body 3 by means of a locking pin I'I. The locking pin II is under the action of a spring I I arranged in a spring housing. On the extension of the locking pin II projecting from the spring housing is secured a rope I2 or the like.

When the rope I2 is pulled the lock is released. f

The bodies 2 and 3 are moreover coupled with one another by a resiliently formed member. I3. This member serves to return the body 2 from the open position (Fig. 4) into the ready-for-use position (Fig. 1).

The modus operandi of the landing hook is as follows:

When the aircraft approaches the landing surface, the pilot by suitable known auxiliary means lowers from the tail of the aircraft a tube, rope or the like on which the landing hook is mounted. The lowered landing hook when the aircraft approaches the landing point engages .a braking rope or cable stretched across the landing surface transversely of the direction 'of ight.

The landing hook in the ready-for-use position (Fig. 1) grips this rope or cable which passes into the jaw-like opening formed by the bodies' I and 2. On entering the said jaw-like opening the rope or cable first strikes the releasing lever I6 which is turned about the pivot I6 in the clockwise direction in Fig. 1. By this turningmovement of thelever 6 the pin 5 is pulled down and the lock between the bodies I and 2 released.

The rope or cable I5 now strikes a nose I4 connected with the body I and turns the body I in clockwise direction about the pivot 4. The landing hook Is thereby closed (Fig. 3). 'Ihe closing of the hook ensures that the aircraft will pass over the other braking ropes or cablesf stretched across the landing surface.

If after the aircraft has landed the hook is to be released from the braking rope or c able I5 gripped by it the rope I 2 secured to the locking pin II is pulled by a member of the crewof the aircraft by known auxiliary means, not shown. The lock between the bodies 2 and 3 is thereby released. Under the action of the braking rope or cable I5 the bodies I and 2 are now turned about the spindle Il. At the same time the bodyl turning about the pivot 4 in counter-clockwise direction passes into the open position shown in Fig. 4. The braking rope or cable now falls out of the jaw-like opening in the landing hook formed by the bodies I and 2. At the same time the releasing lever 6 is released, the pin 5 is pushed forwards under the action of the spring controlling it and the bodies i and 2 are locked together against rotation. Under the action of the spring member I3 the bodies I and 2 are turned about the spindle I1 into the readyfor-use position shown in figure and are again locked by the locking pin il against rotatio f about the said spindle.

I claim:

1. An aircraft landing hook for engaging a braking cable extending across a landing station,

said landing hook comprising three principal members, locking means for holding two of said members together to provide an opening to receive` the braking cable, locking means for locking said members relative to the third member, means operable by the braking cable on entering the opening to release the first mentioned locking means, means to cause the two members to close around the braking cable and to remain closed, said last mentioned means including a and cable releasing positions relative thereto, a second jaw member movably supported on said first jaw member for movement therewith and for movement between open and closed positions relative to said rst jaw member, releasable means for releasably holding the ilrst `iaw member in said cable engaging position, surface means on said second jaw member engageable with a landing cable when said first and second jaw members are in said cable engaging and said open positions, respectively, for moving said second jaw member to said closed position whereby to close the mouth between said jaws and to hold.

said cable, and means for releasing said releasable means whereby to permit said first jaw member to be swung to said cable releasing position to release said cable.

3. An aircraft landing'hook as claimed in claim 2, and means on said second jaw member operably engageable with said cableonly after said ilrst jaw member has moved from said cable engaging `position to said cable releasing position for returning said second jaw member to said open position by movement of said cable from said first jaw member. 4

4. In an aircraft landing hook as claimed in claim 2, detent means releasably holding said second jaw member in said open position relative to said first jaw member, and trigger means extending between said jaws forward of said surface means for engagement with said cable for releasing said detent means.

5. An aircraft mndmg hook as claimed in claim 2, and resilient means engaged between said support member and said first jaw memb erV for yieldably holding said first jaw member in operative position.

` KURT JURSCHICK. 

